The project, "Research to Increase Health Services to Children," is evaluating the potential and capability of nonphysician health personnel (child health associates) to serve as providers of comprehensive health care to children. The curriculum and teaching methods of the program, and the clinical competence, effectiveness, proficiency in psychomotor skills, assessment abilities, and interviewing skills of child health associates are being assessed. The financial feasibilities and the impact on the practice of ambulatory pediatrics resulting from the use of child health associates in a variety of clinical settings are also being evaluated. Working as colleagues and associates of physicians, child health associates have the knowledge, skill, and problem-solving and decision- making capability to care for most (over 90 percent) of the children seen in the typical practice of a pediatrican or family practitioner. Child health associates have the potential to be major providers of primary health care for children. Based on the results of the evaluation of the child health associate program, its students and graduates, and using the child health associate as a model, it has become possible to plan for the development of a program to train a new category of independent medical practitioner, the "primary-care medical practitioner" who will serve as a primary care provider for children, the elderly, or in family practice.